Ars Technica
Pai FCC Loses in Court -- Judges Overturn Gutting of Tribal Lifeline Program
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit overturned the Federal Communications Commission's attempt to take broadband subsidies away from tribal residents. The Ajit Pai-led FCC voted 3-2 in Nov 2017 to make it much harder for tribal residents to obtain a $25-per-month Lifeline subsidy that reduces the cost of Internet or phone service. The change didn't take effect because in Aug 2018, the court stayed the FCC decision pending appeal.
FCC struggles to convince judge that broadband isn’t “telecommunications”
Federal Communications Commission General Counsel Thomas Johnson faced a skeptical panel of judges of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as he defended the agency's repeal of net neutrality rules and deregulation of the broadband industry.
Charter will spend less on cable network in 2019 but charge customers more (Ars Technica)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 01/31/2019 - 16:18Net neutrality court case preview: Did FCC mess up by redefining broadband?
Oral arguments in the case against Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal are scheduled for Feb 1, and net neutrality advocates are confident that they will be victorious. Courts generally give deference to FCC classifications, so Pai's opponents will have the burden of proving that the FCC's reasoning wasn't legally sound. Net neutrality proponents spoke to reporters about the upcoming oral arguments in a press conference on Jan 30.
Netflix, Amazon, and Hollywood studios shut down maker of “free TV” box (Ars Technica)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 01/30/2019 - 12:18Facebook just hired a handful of its toughest privacy critics
Facebook has acknolwedged it has hired three veteran privacy law activists, including Nate Cardozo, an attorney formerly of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who has been very publicly critical of the company in recent years. In 2015, Cardozo once wrote in an op-ed that Facebook's "business model depends on our collective confusion and apathy about privacy." In addition to Cardozo, Facebook also hired attorney Robyn Greene, previously with the Open Technology Institute in Washington, DC, and Nathan White, who is set to leave his position at Access Now.
Lawyer sues Apple, claims FaceTime bug “allowed” recording of deposition (Ars Technica)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 01/30/2019 - 10:49Judge rejects proposed settlement to Yahoo data breach lawsuit
US District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose (CA) has rejected a proposed settlement that would put an end to the years-long lawsuit over the company’s 2016 disclosure that it had been hit by nation-state hackers that exposed hundreds of millions of accounts. Judge Koh, who has presided over many tech-related cases, including the Apple v. Samsung trial, lambasted Yahoo for its lack of transparency over how it has handled the aftermath of the breach.